Getting started

Given that sustainability is one of a number of factors to be considered during the procurement process, it is important to establish just how important it is to your firm. This requires getting buy-in at a senior level and then communicating this commitment across the partnership, its staff and current and prospective suppliers. A simple way of doing this is through a publicly available sustainability policy.
See an example of a sustainability policy

Once the relative importance of sustainable procurement for your firm has been established, you can then begin to build it into a supplier selection exercise. It’s important to be realistic and recognise that different approaches will be required in different circumstances. For example, the relative bargaining power of the firm should be considered - it may be difficult for a relatively small law firm to capture the attention of a global software provider on this issue - so we recommend prioritising resources on areas where you are more likely to achieve results and where the carbon impact of the product is likely to be high. A large supplier may be further along its green journey than your firm is and may be able to advise you on how to reduce carbon impact.